Store managers Ed & Sue Coren to retire, as new owner taking over Edgebrook Ace

by BRIAN NADIG

Ed and Sue Coren will be retiring on May 31 after managing a hardware store in Edgebrook for 40 years.

They met while working in the late 1970s at a Charles Value-ville variety and hardware store near California and Devon avenues, eventually got married and then relocated to Charles True Value at 5423 W. Devon Ave. in 1986 after the Devon-California store lost its lease.

At that time there already was a Charles Value-ville at 5409 W. Devon Ave. in Edgebrook, so the owner Charles Salinger opened a True Value in Edgebrook, a few doors from the existing Value-ville.

In 2005 the store was rebranded as Ace Hardware when Lou and Mary Beth Manfredini acquired the business. On June 1, Westlake Ace takes over the business, as Mary Beth said in a email that it was the right time to sell the store since their longtime managers are retiring.

“This store was our life. We put everything into it,” Ed said. “We’ll miss the satisfaction of helping people and solving their problems.”

The customer would have a home repair issue and ask for advice. “They’d follow our directions and come back in a few days and say ‘thanks,’” he said.

Ed and Sue plan to take some well-deserved vacations during their retirement. It was difficult for them to take time off from the store because it meant two key employees would be away at the same time, Ed said.

Westlake Ace owns about 170 stores and is part of the Ace corporation, but the Edgebrook location will continue to be operated as a “neighborhood store” after June 1, Ed said. “The name will still be ‘Edgebrook Ace,’” he said, adding that existing employees will be asked to remain at the store.

Current owner Lou “Mr. Fix It” Manfredini is well known for his home repair segments on television and radio.

“This store is more than just a place to buy paint, tools, nuts and bolts. It’s a trusted resource where neighbors find solutions, guidance and a helping hand, always with a smile,” Mary Beth and Lou Manfredini said.

Joe Jeffries, president and chief executive officer of Ace Retail Holdings, parent company of Westlake Ace, said, “It’s an honor to carry on their legacy. We look forward to showing our new friends, neighbors and customers in Edgebrook how we live the ‘Ace Helpful Promise’ daily through world-class service, helpful advice and the leading products they need to get their projects done right.”

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